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1Summer - 2005 No. 2www.wildmushrooms.ws
(The oyster... continued on page 3)
2005 No. 2
FEATUREMUSHROOMThe Oyster... pg 1
Recipes
... pg 7 & 8
PRESIDENT’SMESSAGE
Some things to
be thinking about
while picking
mushrooms.
... pg 2
PAST EVENTS
Jack Pine
Grazing Reserve
Foray ... pg 4
Oyster Foray and
Roast ... pg 5
FORAYS
Alberta Foray
... pg 6-7
Ashland Dam
Foray and
Campout
... pg 8
DEVONIANEXPOSITION
City of
Champignons
... pg 9
CALENDAR OFEVENTS
... pg 10
Pleurotus ostreatus(Jacq.: Fr.) KummerTricholomataceae, Basidiomycota,Fungi
It is difficult, if notimpossible, to go for a walkanywhere and not see any fungi.One very common and widespreadfungus in Alberta is the oystermushroom, Pleurotus ostreatus.
Oyster mushrooms are edibleand a favourite among mushroomcollectors. The taste of the oystermushroom varies from very mildto very strong, sometimes sweetwith a hint of anise (licorice). Itvaries in texture from very soft tovery chewy, depending on thestrain and what time of the yearyou pick it. The oyster mushroomhas one of the longer life spans ofthe fleshy mushrooms and cangrow for a period of up to threeweeks. However, you will find thatthe larger, older specimens get tobe fairly tough, while the youngerpickings are both tender anddelicious.
As with any wild mushroom,it is important to eat a small
amount the first time and check ifyour body reacts adversely to thespecies; some people are allergic tooyster mushrooms. Like manyother fungi, oyster mushroomsserve as food and habitat for manyanimals, including fungus gnats,horned fungus beetles, springtails,some turtles, white-tailed deer,and squirrels. A brief soak in
water can rid you of the smallerdiners.
The common name comesfrom the white, shell-likeappearance of the fruiting bodies,not from the taste. It ischaracterized by a white sporeprint, attached to decurrent whiteor yellowish gills, often with an off
PHOTO WORKSHOP
Framing and
Cropping... pg 11
MUSHROOMENVIRONMENTS
... pg 12
The Oyster Mushroom
Pleurotus ostreatus is easy to spot and excellent as a side or part of a main dish.This year has produced some beautiful, large specimens.
2 Summer - 2005 No. 2 www.wildmushrooms.ws
President’s Message 2005 ExecutiveEdmonton Mycological Society
President: Markus Thormann(780) 432-1392
Past President: Peter Arabchuk(780) 479-6630
1st Vice President: Mike Schulz(780) 930-2102
Membership: Alan Fleming(780) 463-8540
Treasurer: Loretta Puckrin(780) 458-9889
Secretary: Melanie Fjoser(780) 987-4412
Foray Coordinator: Bill Richards(780) 998-3507
Program Director: Martin Osis(780) 987-4412
Newsletter Editor: Geri Kolacz(780) 475-7927
Communications: Gail Daniluk(780) 986-4493
Directors-at-large:Pieter Van Der Schoot
(780) 696-2436
Robert Rogers(780) 433-7882
MAILING ADDRESS:
Edmonton Mycological Society1921, 10405 Jasper Avenue
Standard Life BuildingEdmonton, AB T5J 3S2
Markus Thormann, president of theEdmonton Mycological Society
The second foray of 2005 hascome and gone. Our annual springforay took us to the Jack PineGrazing Reserve near WabamunLake northwest of Edmonton. Asanticipated, there was a great turn-out and both true and false morelswere found along with variousother basidiomycetes. Sadly, I wasunable to participate in that foray,because I was away on businessand vacation in Germany at thattime. While there, I saw very fewmushrooms on my numerous hikesthrough the central German mixedwood forests. I did come acrosssmall patches of little brownmushrooms (or “LBMs”), whichare notoriously difficult to identifywith any degree of certainty, andsome bracket fungi (Fomes andFomitopsis spp.), but not muchelse, despite ample moisture in thesoil and from above (it rainedalmost every day). The reasons forthis mycological sparseness at thattime of year remain a mystery tome.
The executive is currentlyworking on the details for the first“Alberta Foray”, to be held in thefoothills towards the end of thesummer (page 6). This is a newevent for the EdmontonMycological Society and willgreatly increase our visibility inthe province. In addition, ourannual “City of Champignons” atthe Devonian Botanic Garden isfast approaching August 07 (page9).
The annual CanadianBotanical Association conferencewas be held at the University ofAlberta from June 15-18. Asidefrom chairing a session of researchpresentations, I presented some ofmy research data as well. I amcurrently examining basidiomycetediversity and their roles inpeatlands. My projects haveimplications from climate changeand biodiversity perspectives.While my work is highly technicaland deals mostly with molds, itsunderlying principles are similarto the goals of the EdmontonMycological Society. Rather thanjust collecting different fungi onforays, it is worthwhile to thinkabout the roles of those fungi aswell. Do they decompose organicmatter? Are they mycorrhizalwith trees and shrubs? Are theypathogenic? These different rolesare crucial to maintain ecosystemhealth (yes, pathogens areimportant too); however, thediversity of fungi (and their roles)we see today will likely be alteredto some degree during our lifetimein response to a changing climate.We may see some previouslycommon species become rare ordisappear altogether, while othersmay expand their current knownranges and miraculously appear inour favourite foray spots. Hence,our efforts to document fungaldiversity today becomes that muchmore important in the future.
With that in mind, cheers andhappy ‘shrooming, Markus
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
3Summer - 2005 No. 2www.wildmushrooms.ws
The oyster(continued from page 1)
You can also check out some
recipies on page 7 & 8.
centre stem, or no stem at all. Thesemi-circular caps can be up to 20cm wide and often occur inclusters.
In Alberta, oyster mushroomsgrow abundantly from early Juneto August on dead and decayingaspen (Populus spp.), andsometime birch (Betula spp.), logsand stumps, which they decomposeto obtain nutrients. Sometimesthey are also found growing onliving trees. In these cases, P.ostreatus is parasitic, rather thansaprobic, in nature.
Oyster mushrooms arecultivated in both Japan and TheNetherlands, with over 20,000tonnes per year sold worldwide bythe early 1990s. Commercialcultivation has to take intoconsideration that the spores,especially in the dense settings ofcultivation, are highly allergenicand can cause severe reactions.
If you find an ‘oyster log’ thatis portable, the mushroom doeslend itself to cultivation. Take thelog home, put it in a warm and
moist environment, and enjoy theharvest. The same log can yieldharvests for many years.
Since these mushrooms canlook different at different times ofthe year, it is easy to confuse themwith other mushrooms, evenpoisonous ones. One of them isLentinellus ursinus. It also haswhite spores, but it has serrate(saw-toothed) gill edges. If youlook at the basidiospores underthe microscope, they are small andamyloid (blue) in Melzer’s reagent(the active ingredient of which isiodine). In addition, the gillshave many amyloid-staininghyphae in them. Other commonmushrooms that can be confusedwith Pleurotus are Crepidotus spp. They also lack a stem; however,they can easily be distinguishedbased on spore colour. Spores ofCrepidotus spp. are brown, ratherthan white as in Pleurotus spp. Neither of these two look-alikesis deadly poisonous; however, theyshould not be eaten.
So, next time you go for awalk, keep your eyes open foroyster mushrooms; however, keepin mind to be absolutely certain
This tree stump covered in oystermushrooms was found near St. Paul onJune 7, 2003. Photo: Bill MacLowick
The young oyster mushrooms clusters are more tender and usually have anicer flavour. Thay also tend to have less insects. Photo: Loretta Puckrin
that what you have collected reallyare oyster mushrooms. Remember, if in doubt, throw itout!
- Markus N. Thormann
The lack of a stipe or stalk and the presence of gills with awhite spore print are indicators of an oyster mushroom.Photo: Loretta Puckrin
4 Summer - 2005 No. 2 www.wildmushrooms.ws
The hotel parking lot atGainford was full of cars andexcited Mushroomers. We had rainand we had sun. TheMorel season was uponus!!!! The convoy beganbehind our fearlessleader - Martin - and wearrived safely at theJackpine GrazingReserve. After someeducational points aboutwhere to find theseelusive but very tastymushrooms, everyonescattered to try theirluck.
As the cartoonsuggests, the Morchellaelata eluded the majorityof the foray group,although I understandthat some members were
Morel Foray at Jackpine
Grazing Reserve
The “Morel Family” of Mushrooms: Gyromitra esculenta, Gyromitra gigas, Verpbohemica, Verpa conica, Morchella elata. Photo: Loretta Puckrin.
Morel Foray Fungi List
Collybia spFomes fomentariusGyromitra esculentaGyromitra gigasMorchella elataPsathyrella madeodiscaVerpa bohemicaVerpa conicaXeromphalina campanella
very successful. The Verpas werenot as shy and many soon foundtheir way into our baskets and pails.
The Mushroom Hunt endedwith a pooling of variousmushrooms that had been foundand an identification session (seethe list above showing the variousmushrooms that were located). Anintroduction to the various morels,especially the Gyromitras (a.k.a.false morels), was of particularinterest to many of us.
All in all, a successful foray.- Geraldine Kolacz
Ready! Set! Go! After a short session on where to look for the morels, the group scattered in alldirection, eager to find and pick mushrooms. Photo: Gerllinde & Claus Cegielny.
5Summer - 2005 No. 2www.wildmushrooms.ws
Oyster Foray and Pig Roast
It Rained. We were soaked.Temperatures Fell.
We were cold.Oysters hid. We found other
mushrooms.No matter what was thrown our
way, as a group we found ways toenjoy ourselves. It wasn’t hard.
As an educational outing theoyster foray was a great success. As aform of entertainment it wasdefinitely something that bearsrepeating.
Over thirty people braved theinclement weather to go huntingoyster mushrooms. Some of us hadalready found substantialgrowths this year andwere very positive aboutfilling our baskets andfreezers. We forgot to tellthe oyster mushroomwhat their role was inthis event.
We did have asurprise when membersof the bolete familyshowed up. What wasthought to be a “RedCap” Leccinum borealiswas in fact a close cousin.Now I know how to tellthe difference.
To say that the daywas not a success becausewe didn’t harvest a lot ofmushrooms would bemisleading.
The more Iattend the EMSforays, the more Iunderstand that aclub organizedforay is not onlyabout findingmushrooms - it isabout learning toidentify what youfind and seeingwhat themushroom lookslike ‘in the wild’.No matter howmany books youread, or even howmany mushroomsyou see in someone else’s basket,the only way toreally appreciatethe environment
of a specific mushroom is to see itgrow. The filling of your basket is abonus when it happens.
We explored several differenthabitats within Pieter van derSchoot’s woodlot, one of which yieldedSuillus granulatus, and two species ofLeccinum (L. insigne and L. snellii,see sidebar for full list of species).Later, as a group, we explored aportion of the Poplar Creek NaturalArea (NE 17 Twp 48 Rge 5 W5M). Itwas here that we were lucky enoughto actually find some oystermushrooms.
Once we had done our duty tothe mushrooms, we relaxed to a
wonderful meal. In addition to thesamples of mushroom dishes broughtby the members, we had a wildmushroom soup, coleslaw and afreshly roasted pig to round out themeal. The evening closed with drawsfor door prizes. After supper, weadjourned to the BBQ area for theidentification and recording of thespecies found. Thankfully we havemembers who can identify themushrooms at a decent pace or wewould still be there.
See you at the next foray! - Loretta Puckrin
The non-polypore table was filled with expected, unusual and tastyvarieties. The oyster mushrooms are on the top centre and theboletes are bottom left. Photo: Loretta Puckrin
Poplar Creek June 18 ForayFungi List
Agaricus silvaticusAnellaria semiovataBaeospora myriadophyllaClavaria pyxidataCoprinus atramentariusCoprinus sp.Crepidotus mollisExidia glandulosaFomes fomentariusFomitopsis pinicolaGalerina cf. venenataGanoderma applanatumGloeophyllum saepiariumGyromitra esculentaGyromitra gigasHeliocybe sulcataHelvella lacunosaHypholoma fasciculareHypomyces sp.Leccinum insigneLeccinum snelliiLentius sp.Lenzites betulinaMarasmius oreadesMarasmius pallidocephalusMelanoleuca cognataMycena haematopusMycena puraMyxomphalia mauraPeziza repandaPhellius ignariusPhellinus piniPhellinus tremulaePiptoporus betulinusPleurotus ostreatusPlicaturopsis crispaPluteus cervinusPluteus patriciusPolyporus badiusPolyporus brumalisRamaria abietinaRussula fragilisRussula sp.Schizophyllum communeStereum hirsutumSuillus granulatusTrametes ochraceaTremella mesentericaTrichaptum biformeTricholoma saponaceumTricholomopsis rutilans
Bill Richards worked with Martin Osis to identify andclassify all the mushrooms found on the June 18th foray.This identification process is an important part of the workdone by our association. Photo: John Thompson.
6 Summer - 2005 No. 2 www.wildmushrooms.ws
Over the last few years I havejealously read about the differentannual forays other mycological clubshave been holding across Canada andthe States. We are finally doingsomething similar. This type of event,where everybody gets together,provides tremendous learningopportunities as well as being a wholelot of fun. As our club grows and getsmore members from across all ofAlberta, having a foray of this scopereaches out to everyone and bringsAlberta mycological intereststogether.
With that in mind, we will holdour 1st “Alberta” Foray coming up onthe September long weekend. Thelocation will be at the Crimson LakeHall just west of Rocky MountainHouse. We have scouted out the areaand the habitat looks fantastic.Forays are planned both inside andoutside the provincial park. The hallgives us a nice meeting place with fullkitchen facilities. There is lots ofroom for motor homes, trailers, andcampers, but there are no hook ups.We also have a baseball field wheretents can be set up. Anyone lookingfor other accommodations would haveto travel to Rocky Mountain House,which is about ten minutes away.There are also several “Bed andBreakfasts” in the area.
To keep our costs to a minimum,we need to rely on volunteers both inthe kitchen and at our ID tables. Thebest way to learn is to jump in withboth feet and participate. The cost forthe weekend including all events,camping, and food will be $75.00 perperson ($25.00 per day). No chargefor children.
Registration is open until ourMushroom Exposition on August 7,but please register as soon aspossible.
- Martin Osis
Friday Night, September 2nd:
·Registration, set up and mixer. 6:00 to 10:00
Saturday, September 3rd:
·Breakfast - 8:00 to 9:00
·Registration - 9:00 to Noon
·Foray - 9:30 to 11:30
· Introduction & foray outline - 11:30 to 12:00
·Lunch - 12:00 to 1:00
·Foray - Foraging 1:00 to 4:00
· ID tables - 4:00 to 5:30
·Mushroom tasting - 5:30 to 6:30
·Dinner - 6:30 to 7:30
·8:00 to 10:00 p.m.
– Canning and preservation
Sunday, September 4th:
·Breakfast - 8:00 to 9:00
·Foray – Walking ID class: 9:30 to 11:30
– Crimson Lake Provincial Park
·Lunch - 12:00 to 1:00
·Foray - Foraging - 1:00 to 3:00
·Keying and ID workshop - 3:00 to 5:30
·Mushroom tasting - 5:30 to 6:30
· 100 year Alberta Birthday
Banquet Bash - 6:30 to 8:00
· 8:00 to 10:00 p.m.
– “Preparation of medicinal mushrooms”
Monday, September 5th:
· Foray - 7;00 - 9:00
· Breakfast - 9:00 - 10:00
· ID morning foray finds
and question and answer
session. – 10:00 to 11:30
· Wrap up - 11:30 - 12:00
· Pot luck Lunch
· Clean-up, Pack-up
and head home.
The First Alberta Foray
7Summer - 2005 No. 2www.wildmushrooms.ws
ALBERTA FORAY – Registration FormPlease fill out and send, along with your cheque, to:EMS at 1921 - 10405 Jasper Avenue, Standard Life Building, Edmonton, AB T5J 3S2
Name _______________________________________________________________________
Address _____________________________________________________________________
Phone Number ________________________________ Email Address______________________________
� Full Weekend $75.00 � Saturday Only $25.00 � Sunday Only $25.00 Children under the age of 16 are free
Yes I can help…If you can help in any way, please let us know. The volunteer time of our members is what continuesto make EMS forays such a success and a great time for everyone. Martin will contact you with details prior to theforay.
Registration Desk (Name Tags, Distribution of information, taking payments and preparation of receipts) � Friday 6-10 pm � Saturday 9-noon � Sunday 8-9:30
ID Tables (Set up, creation of lists, clean up) � Saturday 3:30-5:30 pm � Sunday 3:00-6:00 pm � Monday 10-12noon
Cooking Sessions (preparation of mushrooms, cooking, clean up)Saturday � Mushroom tasting 5:00-6:30pm Sunday � Mushroom tasting 5:00-6:30 pm
Preserving Sessions (canning, preserving, preparation of medicinal mushrooms) S a t u r d a y � Preserving Session 8-10pm S u n d a y � Medicinal Mushrooms 8-10 pm
Kitchen (help prepare meals and clean up) Saturday � breakfast � lunch � supper Sunday � breakfast � lunch � supper Monday � breakfast � Pot Luck
Hall Monitor (keep in good shape, and final clean up on Monday)� Friday � Saturday � Sunday � Monday
Puree of Leeks, Oyster Mushrooms and Cardamom
1 tbsp butter (or olive oil) 15 mL4 cups leeks, cleaned and sliced 1 L1 tbsp garlic, minced 15 mL2 cups oyster mushroom pieces 500 mL
(or button, crimini or cauliflower fungus)
salt and pepper to taste1 cup white wine 250 mL1 tsp ground cardamom 5 mL6 cups chicken or vegetable stock 1.5 L1/2 cup whipping cream (or yogurt) 125 mL
garnish1 leek, split, washed and julienned 11 cup vegetable oil 250 mL
1. In a medium stock pot, heat butter over high heat for30 seconds. Add sliced leeks and garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes, until leeks are soft. Add mushrooms andseason well with salt and pepper. Saute for anadditional 5 minutes, or until mushrooms are soft andappear dry. Add white wine and cook until the liquid isalmost evaporated. Add chicken stock and bring to aboil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, or untilvegetables are very soft.
Enjoy the contrast between the smooth puree of the mushrooms and the crunch of the fried leeks. The soup can bemade several days in advance. Add the cream just before serving. Freshly ground cardamom adds a pleasant camphorflavour that works well with the richness of cream.
2. Transfer soup to a blender or food processor andpuree in batches (be sure to place a dish towel ontop of the blender and press down firmly to avoidsplashing the hot liquid). Return to the pan, addcream and stir well to mix. Bring to a boil, checkseasoning and adjust with salt and pepper. Reduceheat to a simmer and keep warm while youprepare the crispy leeks.
3. In a heavy -bottomed pot or wok, heat oil until hot(350 F/180 C). Test temperature by adding a fewstrands of leek. The oil should bubble vigorouslyaround the leek. Add leek to the pan and stiroften until the leeks become crisp. When goldenbrown, remove from the oil and drain on a platelined with a paper towel. Season well with saltand pepper. To serve, ladle soup into bowls,garnish with a mound of the crispy leeks andserve at once.
Recipe courtesy of: The Savoury Mushroom, Cookingwith Wild and Cultivated Mushrooms by Bill Jones
8 Summer - 2005 No. 2 www.wildmushrooms.ws
Warburg
From Warburg, go west 1.6 km on Township Road 48-5. Turn left onto Range Road 3-2 and go south 1.6 km. TTurn right onto Township Road 48-4 and go west 3.2 km. Turn left onto Range Road 3-4 and go south 1.0 km. Turn right onto lease road and go west 0.9 km. Turn left and go south 0.2 km into site
Welcome to theTalisman Energy Ashland-Strawberry Creek
Reservoir Picnic Area.The Edmonton Mycological Society has full use of the Facilities
For July 9 & 10 2005.Enjoy the Facility and please use it with respect.
55 KM Leduc to Warburg
Stuffed Salmon
Just a reminder to folks aboutthe Ashland Dam Campout. Thisforay is intented for all our newermembers to introduce them to basicmushroom identification and the useof keys. This will be a continuationand the field portion of our lastregularmeeting. Ofcourse all ofour membersare welcometo participate.
Startingout is alwaysthe mostdifficult timeand we wantto introducepeople to thesome of thebasic Albertaediblemushrooms.Using keys isone of themostimportantskills todevelop andwe will havean afternoonworkshop indoing that.We wouldlike ourmembers torefrain from
Ashland Dam Foray and Campout - July 9/10
This recipe works well with afull salmon and used as a stuffingor you can sandwich the stuffingbetween filets or even fold over asalmon side to create a pocket. Ifnot using a whole fish (you don’thave to use salmon) make sure youuse some method of holding thepieces together (string or skewers).Either pre-cook your favourite rice(a mixture of wild and whole grainrice works very well) or use instantrice.
4 cups of cooked rice
2 cups of oyster mushrooms -chopped or sliced into thin sections
1 medium onion (red with salmon,white with whitefish is suggestedbut even leeks can be used) -chopped or thinly sliced
1 cup chopped celery
4 cloves of garlic - chopped
Salt, Pepper to taste
Mix all ingredients. Stuff intosalmon. Cover in foil wrap andbake until all the fish is cooked.
For a more unique taste cookthe rice in white wine, chickenbroth, or even milk.
You can also sew the fishclosed and grill on a BBQ but inthat case you might want to pre-cook the entire stuffing first.
Sherwood ParkNatural Area ForayJune 8 Foray Fungi List
Agrocybe duraBjerkandera adustaClavicorona pyxidataCollybia butyraceaCollybia dryophilaCollybia sp. 1Collybia sp. 2Fomes fomentariusFomitopsis pinicolaHyypholoma capnoidesHypoxylon mammatumLycoperdon pyriformeMycena haematopusPeziza repandaPhellinus tremulaePolyporus badiusPolyporus variusPsathyrella hydrophilaTricaptum biforme
picking large amounts ofmushrooms on Saturday until afterthe workshop, as we will be doingmore serious foraging on Saturdayevening and Sunday.
There are some barbeques onsite (which we will fire up) so bring
your favourite grilling item. Wealso usually make a big pot ofcommunal mushroom soup andwelcome any other potluck dish.
There are signs for theAshland Dam on Hwy. 39 a fewmiles past the town of Warburg.The turn-off on the gravel road forthe campsite will be marked. If youmiss it and reach the sign for theAshland Dam you have gone about1 mile too far south.
- Martin Osis
9Summer - 2005 No. 2www.wildmushrooms.ws
EMS Goes Public
Once a year, we have theopportunity to share our love ofmushrooms with a wide variety ofpeople. It is the “City ofChampignons” Exposition at theDevonian Gardens, which is beingheld on August 7th this year.
The day before (August 6th),members either get together (thegroup site is Poplar Creek this year– contact Pieter Van Der Schoot ifyou are planning on joining thegroup) and pick as many differenttypes of mushrooms as are willingto be found. If you can’t make it tothe Poplar Creek area, simply go tothe areas where you know there aremushrooms and pick samples there.
The idea is to carefully pick theentire stalk rather than cutting themushrooms the way you would dofor foraging. Complete mushrooms(full caps and stipes) andmushrooms of the same species butdifferent ages (from button to fullyexpanded caps) help complete thedisplays. To keep the mushrooms asfresh as possible, pack them in mossto preserve the moisture level. It istruly amazing how many differentvarieties of mushrooms grow in ourgeographic area and can be pickedin one day.
A few samples from thenatural area (a small pine branch, a
grass cluster, deciduous leaves, etc)will add visual impact, so pleasebring some along.
When you take the mushroomsto the Devonian Gardens, they arecategorized based on their growingarea and displayed on large tables(see photograph).
EMS will have the displaytables, Spore Prints, books andmushroom soup available for guestsand members alike. Martin and Billlead short forays into the DevonianGarden grounds to show theproliferation of mushrooms even inthat semi-cultivated environment.
Please contact either MartinOsis or Pieter Van der Schoot if youcan assist in the event. We needassistance in setting up the tables,categorizing the mushrooms,serving the soup, assisting Alanwith memberships, and talking tothe visitors about mushrooms. Theevent starts at 10:00 am with theopening of the gates to the public,so please arrive an hour earlier tohelp set up.
With enough volunteers,everyone will have a chance tosample the mushroom recipes,check out the foray findings, andlearn a little bit more about somevarieties of mushrooms. It is a fun,educational, and interesting eventthat helps to promote ourassociation.
- Loretta Puckrin
The Pine Pavillion (above) and a map to find the DevonianBotanical Gardens (right).
Photo: Louis Galick.
10 Summer - 2005 No. 2 www.wildmushrooms.ws
JulyA weekend (Sat-Sun)foray. New MemberField Orientation, KEYworkshop
Mushroom: The King BoleteLocation: Ashland Dam site,Camp out
Mid-Summer WednesdayEvening ForayMushroom: VariousLocation: Mill Creek
Ravine (meet at the swimming
pool parking lot)
MEETING - ObscureEdible Mushrooms ofAlberta - Mike Schulz
August
Saturday Foray collectingfor Mushroom Exposition2005Mushroom: All
groups from all habitatsLocation: Your choice
EMS Calendar of Events for 2005City of Champignons Expositionat Devonian Gardens, Sunday.Member volunteers are needed!
Late-Summer WednesdayEvening Foray
Mushrooms: Various
Location: Edmonton River Valley(Mill Creek or Whitemud Creek)
MEETING - Preparingyour favourite mushrooms.Location: TBA
Weekend Foray tothe Foothills Area
Mushroom: Gypsy, Man-on-Horseback, HedgehogsLocation: Robb
SeptemberLong Weekend Foray -First Annual AlbertaWide Foray
Mushroom: Leccinum, Russula,Lactarius and other agarics
Weekend Foray to theFoothills - Campout
Mushroom: Hedgehogand Honey MushroomsLocation: Foothills - TBA
MEETING -Photography ContestFinalists
OctoberMEETING - AGM
NovemberPresident’s Dinner:
Mushrooms in ourworld - by Markus N.Thormann
Location: Riverbend PublicLibrary, 7:00-8:45 pm
General Member MeetingsFourth Wednesday of every month.
Time: 7:00 pm Location: Riverbend Library
Please Join Us!!All forays are undertaken at your ownrisk. You are responsible for transpor-tation and accommodation.
13
27
9/10
6
7
17
24
27/28
3-5
10/11
28
26
TBA
22
11Summer - 2005 No. 2www.wildmushrooms.ws
You can’t always shoot a greatphoto. The camera selects an areafor its focus that isn’t what youintended, you can’t get close enoughor you don’t have the time to framethings properly if you want to staywith the group and not get lost.There are a variety of reasons thatthe photos you bring home from aforay are not what you wanted.
Don’t despair. In today’stechnological world there are theelectronic tools for changing theoriginal photo into something youwould want to keep.
In the first example (1A) wehave a photo that doesn’t have a
clear identity and isover-exposed (whitewhere there shouldbe colour) in someareas. Overall thephoto is very poor.Rather than simplydeleting the file youhave a chance tosalvage a portion. Bytaking the lowerright side of thepicture we havecreated a totally different photo. Itnow has a focus - the round globularmass of fungi. The focus is notcentered in the image but rather
placed in the top leftcorner. Rememberthat people in Canadaread from left to rightand top to bottom. Byplacing the mainimage in the top leftcorner the eye willstart with our focuspoint and the move toexamine the lessimportant parts of thephotograph.
In the secondexample (2A) themain image was toosmall. The green
foliage, rather than adding depthand interest, is simply taking awayfrom the main image. To eliminatethese problems the photo wascropped in tightly deleting the extratwigs and leaves. With the goodcontrast between the mushroomand the dead leaves on the forestfloor, we now have a more dynamicphoto. With three mushrooms andthe different sizes there is creativeimbalance that makes the photomore appealing. Having only onemushroom and centering it rarelycreates the best photograph.
Having the young of thespecies in the shot is good for
Framing and Cropping 2A
2B
1A
1B
identification. If the photographerhad stopped and picked one of themushrooms and laid it on its side(or upside down) to see the gillstructure and stipe, that would havebeen even better as far asidentification goes but might havereduced the visual impact.
Remember to submit yourfavourite photos to the EMS photocontest by emailing them to:
[email protected] with your name, a descriptionof where you captured the fungi andidentity (if you know, but notessential).
- Loretta Puckrin
12 Summer - 2005 No. 2 www.wildmushrooms.ws
Mushroom EnvironmentsBe Able to Describe anEnvironment
Knowing how to describe anenvironment not only allows you toidentify your species of fungi butwill also help you identify otherareas where that species might befound. This is important to thelong-term mushroom picker as thesame site is rarely good year afteryear. Remember the reasonmushroom grow - they are helpingto break down the waste products ofthe forest (dead leaves, downedtrees etc.). As the breakdownoccurs, the substrate on which thefungus grows is used up. For thisreason every site has a built-in timelimit. Some people recommend thatyou have as many as 10 spots foreach edible variety you wish to pick.It might be good to start withidentifying some mushroom-bearinglocations and keep visiting themuntil you know what grows in whichpart of that forest area. By trackingyour findings (a log book ormushroom diary is indispensable)you will develop reliable sites. Youcan’t count on having someone elseshare their sites!
Oyster Mushroom LocationsSince we are featuring the
oyster mushroom (Pleurotusostreatus) in this issue, we shouldlook at the environment that fostersthe growth of this fungus.
One book lists the habitat at“deciduous trees, especially willowand aspen, rarely on pine andhemlock”, but in this area it is mostcommonly found what iscommonly called black poplartrees (Balsam poplar). Remember- that is “most commonly found” -not “always” or “only”. Oneespecially delicious clump was foundon a Mountain Ash tree in the city.The other important point to note isthat Pleurotus ostreatus grows on
the wood of dead or dying trees.They are not found in the grass orin pine forests so the areas in whichyou look can eliminate all non-deciduous or grassy regions.
The trees don’t have to be onthe ground - they can be stumps ortrees which only have a few leaveson the crown. Pleurotus ostreatustends to grow on trees which stillhave their bark and have beendowned the previous year.
Many people enjoy looking foroyster mushrooms as they can bespotted from the car. The bright,near white mushroom against thedark of the tree trunk almost shoutsout “stop the car”. As themushroom grows in clusters ratherthan individually, it makes themeasier to spot. Make sure you arenot trespassing in yourquest for these deliciousfungi.
The Balsam Poplar
The balsam poplarleaves have a smootherprofile than the otherpoplars (see photograph)and they are shaped morelike the spade image onplaying cards. The poplar ishalf-way between theBalsam poplar and the
aspen. As you can see by the propername, the aspen is a member of thesame family. It is no wonder thatsome areas have Pleurotus ostreatusmostly on the aspen trees, while inthis area we find them on Balsampoplar - they are part of the samefamily of trees.
-Loretta Puckrin
Thebalsampoplarbark issimilar tothe mapletree barkwithdark,deeplyfurrowedbark.
Watch out for oyster look alikes, such as the polyporesabove. Check for gills, spore colour and smell.
Knowing the species of trees will help you identify potentialmushroom sites.
